[[Image:St-Savas-the-New-icon.jpg|frame|right|St. Sava the New of Kalymnos]]

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[[Image:Saint Savvas- Icon from his church.jpg|frame|right|Icon at the Entrance of his church in Kalymnos]]

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Our venerable and God-bearing father '''Sava the New''' (also spelled ''Savvas'' or ''Savas'') is the [[patron saint]] of the Greek island of Kalymnos (Calymna), where he lived during the last twenty years of his life as the [[priest]] and spiritual father of the [[nun]]s of the Convent of All Saints. He was a great [[ascetic]], [[confessor]], [[iconographer]], and [[wonder-worker|miracle-worker]]. He is one of the recently recognized [[saint]]s in the Greek Orthodox Church.

Our venerable and God-bearing father Saint '''Savvas of Kalymnos''' (also known as Saint '''Savvas the New''') is the [[patron saint]] of the Greek island of Kalymnos (Calymna), where he lived during the last twenty years of his life as the [[priest]] and spiritual father of the [[nun]]s of the Convent of All Saints. He was a great [[ascetic]], [[confessor]], [[iconographer]], and [[wonder-worker|miracle-worker]]. He is one of the recently recognized [[saint]]s in the Greek Orthodox Church.

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The feast of St. Sava the New of Kalymnos is celebrated on various dates in different traditions, including [[February 7]], [[April 7]] ([[March 25]] in the [[Old Calendar]]), [[December 5]] with St. [[Sabbas the Sanctified|Sava the Sanctified]], and the fifth Sunday of [[Great Lent]] with St. [[Mary of Egypt]].

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He died on [[April 7]], 1947 and his remains were exhumed in 1957 and "miracles happen for those who venerate these in faith". In Kalymnos, he is commemorated by the church [[April 7]]. The feasts dates of St. ''Savvas the New of Kalymnos'' are celebrated on various dates in different traditions, [[April 7]] ([[March 25]] in the [[Old Calendar]]), [[December 5]] with St. [[Sabbas the Sanctified|Sabbas the Sanctified]], and the fifth Sunday of [[Great Lent]] with St. [[Mary of Egypt]].

==Life==

==Life==

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Saint Sava was born in 1862 in Herakleitsa, Eastern Thrace to Constantine and Smaragda, very poor and he was there only son. When he was [[baptize]]d he was given the name Vasilios.

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Saint Savvas was born in 1862 in Herakleitsa, Eastern Thrace to Constantine and Smaragda, very poor and he was their only son. When he was [[baptize]]d he was given the name Vasilios.

From a young age he had a calling for the holy [[monastic]] life and secretely left for [[Mount Athos]] at the age of twelve where he entered [[St. Anne's Skete (Athos)|St. Anne's Skete]]. Along with the usual monastic duties, this is where he learned [[iconography]] and [[Byzantine chant|Byzantine music]].

From a young age he had a calling for the holy [[monastic]] life and secretely left for [[Mount Athos]] at the age of twelve where he entered [[St. Anne's Skete (Athos)|St. Anne's Skete]]. Along with the usual monastic duties, this is where he learned [[iconography]] and [[Byzantine chant|Byzantine music]].

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Due to the irregularities caused by the raids of the Arabs in the Holy Land, and health reasons, Sava was forced to leave. He returned to Greece where he searched for a quiet place to continue his monastic life. He was attracted to the island of [[Patmos]], where he lived for a while in the hermitage of Grava and later at the [[Monastery of St. John the Theologian (Patmos, Greece)|Monastery of St. John]]. <ref> This is verified by an inscription on an icon painted by St. Sava at the monastery "In the month of December in 1914 this icon was painted by the hand of the iconographer, holy monk Savvas the Hosevite." </ref>

Due to the irregularities caused by the raids of the Arabs in the Holy Land, and health reasons, Sava was forced to leave. He returned to Greece where he searched for a quiet place to continue his monastic life. He was attracted to the island of [[Patmos]], where he lived for a while in the hermitage of Grava and later at the [[Monastery of St. John the Theologian (Patmos, Greece)|Monastery of St. John]]. <ref> This is verified by an inscription on an icon painted by St. Sava at the monastery "In the month of December in 1914 this icon was painted by the hand of the iconographer, holy monk Savvas the Hosevite." </ref>

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He later traveled for three years, throughout Greece, looking for a suitable place to stay. He visited [[Mount Athos]], then the Monastery of Phaneromenis, then Salamina and finaly the island of Hydra but in 1919, he was invited to stay at the Greek island of Aegina, by St. [[Nektarios of Aegina|Nektarios]], to serve as a priest at the Convent of the Holy Trinity, and stayed for six years at this convent (from 1919 until 1925). There he taught the nuns the sacred art of iconography and Byzantine music.

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He later traveled for three years, throughout Greece, looking for a suitable place to stay. He visited [[Mount Athos]], then the Monastery of Phaneromenis, then Salamina and finaly the island of Hydra but in 1919, he was invited to stay at the Greek island of Aegina, by St. [[Nektarios of Aegina|Nektarios]], to serve as a priest at the Convent of the Holy Trinity, and stayed for six years at this convent (from 1919 until 1925). There he taught the nuns the sacred art of iconography and Byzantine music. This period was one of the most significant events in his biography due to his friendship with St. Nektarios; who was at the height of his spiritual development at this time. Sava had the opportunity to confess and receive counsel from the saint and the two held each other in high esteem and considered each a saint.

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This period was one of the most significant events in his biography due to his friendship with St. Nektarios; who was at the height of his spiritual development at this time. Sava had the opportunity to confess and receive counsel from the saint and the two held each other in high esteem and considered each a saint. Savas also conducted Saint Nektarios' funeral service.

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Savvas conducted the funeral service for Saint Nektarios and is also renowed for painting the first [[icon]] of the saint.

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:''One day St. Savvas asked the [[abbess]] not to let anyone disturb him for forty days, during which he remained confined to his cell in which the nuns could hear constant conversation (between the living Saint and the reposed Saint). After 40 days, he came out of his cell holding an icon of the saint. He handed it to the abbess and asked her to place it in the church for veneration. The abbess was surprised since Nektarios had not been formerly [[glorification|glorified]] ("canonized") as a saint, and was afraid that the convent would get into trouble. Although Savvas was always meek and humble, he insisted, and told her in a commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Take the icon and place it on the [[iconostasis|icon stand]], and do not scrutinize the will of God." He knew the holiness and purity of St. Nektarios.''

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St. Sava is also renowed for painting the first [[icon]] of St. Nektarios: ''One day St. Sava asked the [[abbess]] not to let anyone disturb him for forty days, during which he remained confined to his cell in which the nuns could hear constant conversation between the living Saint and the reposed Saint. After 40 days, he came out of his cell holding an icon of St. Nektarios. He handed it to the abbess and asked her to place it in the church for veneration. The abbess was surprised since St. Nektarios had not been [[glorification|glorified]] ("canonized") as a saint yet, and she was afraid that the convent would get into trouble. Although the saint was always meek and humble, he insisted, and told her in a commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Take the icon and place it on the [[iconostasis|icon stand]], and do not scrutinize the will of God." He knew the holiness and purity of St. Nektarios.''

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After the repose of St. Nektarios, the number of pilgrims to the convent increased due to the growing reputation of the saint as a miracle-worker. This greatly disrupted the quiet life that Savvas loved and with the encouragement of Gerasimos Zervos <ref> Gerasimos Zervos, the husband of Anna, who later became Sister Monica, who also went to Kalymnos. </ref>, he departed in 1925 and went to the island of Kalymnos.

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After St. Nektarios reposed, more and more pilgrims would come to the convent due to the growing reputation of St. Nektarios as a miracle-worker. This disrupted the quiet life that St. Sava loved, and so he departed the convent in 1925, again for a quieter life.

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There, he spent the last years of his life as the priest and spiritual father at the ''Convent of All Saints''. As a [[confessor]], he combined leniency with severity. He was lenient on certain sins and severe to others. He remained an ardent spiritual striver until the end of life and practiced extreme forms of self-restraint with regard to food, drink, and sleep. St. Savvas became a shining example of virtue to all who came into contact with him. Many smelled a heavenly fragrance in his presence and some even saw him rising above the ground as he stood at prayer.

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St. Sava spent the last years of his life as the priest and spiritual father at the Convent of All Saints on the island of Kalymnos. As a [[confessor]], he combined leniency with severity. He was lenient on certain sins and severe to others. He remained an ardent spiritual striver until the end of life and practiced extreme forms of self-restraint with regard to food, drink, and sleep. St. Sava became a shining example of virtue to all who came into contact with him. Many smelled a heavenly fragrance in his presence and some even saw him rising above the ground as he stood at prayer.

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Towards the end of his life, St. Savvas was in a state of intense prayer and holy contrition. For three days he did not receive anyone and he gave his last counsels: requested love and obedience in Christ. When he was on the point of death taking his last breath, suddenly he received strength, brought his blessed small hands together, and clapped them repeatedly saying his last holy words: "The Lord! The Lord! The Lord!" He went to the Lord in 1947 on the eve of the [[feast]] of the [[Annunciation]]. One nun saw the soul of the saint ascending in a golden cloud towards heaven. After about 10 years when the saint's grave was opened in accordance to the Greek Orthodox custom, a heavenly fragrance emanated from the grave which covered the whole island of Kalymnos, this phenomenon was witnessed by many, including the local [[bishop]]. This was a testament to the sanctity of the saint. Numerous [[miracle]]s and healings have since been attributed to St. Savvas the New of Kalymnos.

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Towards the end of his life, St. Sava was in a state of intense prayer and holy contrition. For three days he did not receive anyone and he gave his last counsels: requested love and obedience in Christ. When he was on the point of death taking his last breath, suddenly he received strength, brought his blessed small hands together, and clapped them repeatedly saying his last holy words: "The Lord! The Lord! The Lord!" He went to the Lord in 1948 on the eve of the [[feast]] of the [[Annunciation]]. One nun saw the soul of the saint ascending in a golden cloud towards heaven. After about 10 years when the saint's grave was opened in accordance to the Greek Orthodox custom, a heavenly fragrance emanated from the grave which covered the whole island of Kalymnos, this phenomenon was witnessed by many, including the local [[bishop]]. This was a testament to the sanctity of the saint. Numerous [[miracle]]s and healings have since been attributed to St. Sava the New of Kalymnos.

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== Icons of the Saints Life ==

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<small><gallery>

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Image:St Nectarios- Kimisi-close-up.jpg|Saint Savvas was the only clergyman to officiate at Saint Nectarios' funeral.

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Image:St_Savvas_of_Kalymnos-with_Icon6X4.jpg|Icon of the Saint holding the first icon of Saint Nectarios.

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Image:Saint Savvas- miracle in church.jpg|On many occasions Saint Savvas while liturgising was witnessed levtitating with a sacrificial Christ on the altar table.

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Image:Saint Savvas -teaching Nuns.jpg|Saint Savvas was also a great teacher of Orthodoxy. Teaching theology, iconography and Byzantine chant.

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Image:Saint Savvas Confessing.jpg|Saint Savvas was also a very discerning confessor. He was both lenient and severe when required

*[http://www.koel-art.com/pics/byz3/45-3.jpg Icon of St. Savas of Kalymnos]

*[http://www.abbamoses.com/months/april.html Saint Savvas the New of Kalymnos (1948) (March 25 OC)] (under the entry for April 7)

*[http://www.abbamoses.com/months/april.html Saint Savvas the New of Kalymnos (1948) (March 25 OC)] (under the entry for April 7)

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*[http://www.360cities.net/image/the-monastery-of-agios-savvas Virtual Tour of the Monastery of St. Savvas of Kalymnos in Greece]

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[[Category:Featured Articles]]

[[Category:Featured Articles]]

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[[Category:Athonite Fathers]]

[[Category:Iconographers]]

[[Category:Iconographers]]

[[Category:Monastics]]

[[Category:Monastics]]

[[Category:Saints]]

[[Category:Saints]]

[[Category:Greek Saints]]

[[Category:Greek Saints]]

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[[Category:20th-century saints]]

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[[ro:Sava cel Nou]]

Revision as of 20:40, February 4, 2013

Icon at the Entrance of his church in Kalymnos

First ever icon of Saint Savvas

Our venerable and God-bearing father Saint Savvas of Kalymnos (also known as Saint Savvas the New) is the patron saint of the Greek island of Kalymnos (Calymna), where he lived during the last twenty years of his life as the priest and spiritual father of the nuns of the Convent of All Saints. He was a great ascetic, confessor, iconographer, and miracle-worker. He is one of the recently recognized saints in the Greek Orthodox Church.

After twelve years, he traveled to Jerusalem for a pilgrimage to the holy sites. He arrived in 1887 and entered the monastery of St. George Hozevitou and lived there for seventeen years as a hermit in the deserted and rugged cliffs. After serving for a period as a novice, he was tonsured a monk and given the name Sava.

In 1890, he joined the brotherhood of the Abbott Kallinikos (from Alatsata of Asia Minor) and in 1902 was ordained a deacon. In 1903, a year later, he was ordained to the holy priesthood by Archbishop Nikodemos from Diokesaria. He spent almost 10 years in the desert by the Jordan where he led an austere life and occupied himself with prayer and iconography. His dwelling consisted of two cells which he reached by ascending up a rope ladder. This isolation was necessary for successful inner concentration and noetic prayer and he made great spiritual progress there.

St. Sava the New of Kalymnos

Due to the irregularities caused by the raids of the Arabs in the Holy Land, and health reasons, Sava was forced to leave. He returned to Greece where he searched for a quiet place to continue his monastic life. He was attracted to the island of Patmos, where he lived for a while in the hermitage of Grava and later at the Monastery of St. John. [1]

He later traveled for three years, throughout Greece, looking for a suitable place to stay. He visited Mount Athos, then the Monastery of Phaneromenis, then Salamina and finaly the island of Hydra but in 1919, he was invited to stay at the Greek island of Aegina, by St. Nektarios, to serve as a priest at the Convent of the Holy Trinity, and stayed for six years at this convent (from 1919 until 1925). There he taught the nuns the sacred art of iconography and Byzantine music. This period was one of the most significant events in his biography due to his friendship with St. Nektarios; who was at the height of his spiritual development at this time. Sava had the opportunity to confess and receive counsel from the saint and the two held each other in high esteem and considered each a saint.

Savvas conducted the funeral service for Saint Nektarios and is also renowed for painting the first icon of the saint.

One day St. Savvas asked the abbess not to let anyone disturb him for forty days, during which he remained confined to his cell in which the nuns could hear constant conversation (between the living Saint and the reposed Saint). After 40 days, he came out of his cell holding an icon of the saint. He handed it to the abbess and asked her to place it in the church for veneration. The abbess was surprised since Nektarios had not been formerly glorified ("canonized") as a saint, and was afraid that the convent would get into trouble. Although Savvas was always meek and humble, he insisted, and told her in a commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Take the icon and place it on the icon stand, and do not scrutinize the will of God." He knew the holiness and purity of St. Nektarios.

After the repose of St. Nektarios, the number of pilgrims to the convent increased due to the growing reputation of the saint as a miracle-worker. This greatly disrupted the quiet life that Savvas loved and with the encouragement of Gerasimos Zervos [2], he departed in 1925 and went to the island of Kalymnos.

There, he spent the last years of his life as the priest and spiritual father at the Convent of All Saints. As a confessor, he combined leniency with severity. He was lenient on certain sins and severe to others. He remained an ardent spiritual striver until the end of life and practiced extreme forms of self-restraint with regard to food, drink, and sleep. St. Savvas became a shining example of virtue to all who came into contact with him. Many smelled a heavenly fragrance in his presence and some even saw him rising above the ground as he stood at prayer.

Towards the end of his life, St. Savvas was in a state of intense prayer and holy contrition. For three days he did not receive anyone and he gave his last counsels: requested love and obedience in Christ. When he was on the point of death taking his last breath, suddenly he received strength, brought his blessed small hands together, and clapped them repeatedly saying his last holy words: "The Lord! The Lord! The Lord!" He went to the Lord in 1947 on the eve of the feast of the Annunciation. One nun saw the soul of the saint ascending in a golden cloud towards heaven. After about 10 years when the saint's grave was opened in accordance to the Greek Orthodox custom, a heavenly fragrance emanated from the grave which covered the whole island of Kalymnos, this phenomenon was witnessed by many, including the local bishop. This was a testament to the sanctity of the saint. Numerous miracles and healings have since been attributed to St. Savvas the New of Kalymnos.

Icons of the Saints Life

Saint Savvas was the only clergyman to officiate at Saint Nectarios' funeral.

Icon of the Saint holding the first icon of Saint Nectarios.

On many occasions Saint Savvas while liturgising was witnessed levtitating with a sacrificial Christ on the altar table.

Saint Savvas was also a great teacher of Orthodoxy. Teaching theology, iconography and Byzantine chant.

Saint Savvas was also a very discerning confessor. He was both lenient and severe when required

Video Slideshow

Notes

↑ This is verified by an inscription on an icon painted by St. Sava at the monastery "In the month of December in 1914 this icon was painted by the hand of the iconographer, holy monk Savvas the Hosevite."

↑ Gerasimos Zervos, the husband of Anna, who later became Sister Monica, who also went to Kalymnos.